F.A.Q

Where is my money going?

Here at TABOO, we are first and foremost focussed on our mission to eradicate social and physical suffering that comes from menstruation around the world. We are structurally an ordinary company with an extraordinary mission. We will be donating 100% of the profits raised from our sales to projects around the world, which are focused on providing women in need with appropriate menstrual healthcare and education. We will also focus on programs which take action against genital mutilation and child sex trafficking. We are excited by the impact these profits will have on women around the world and will share as much of this journey as possible with you. We hope to share updates on projects often, and using technology, give each customer easy access to watch the projects develop. The expenditure of the company will be made public on the website, allowing you access to see exactly where the revenue is travelling.

Exactly where will my money go after I purchase your products?

As a ‘young’ business, we admit that creating and establishing our own outreach program may not be the most cost effective way to spend our profit. Instead, we plan to initially partner with ‘OneGirl’ and use 100% of our profits to fund personalised Taboo projects. One Girl runs a program called LaunchPad which provides women in Sierra Leone with both physical sanitary products in the form of biodegradable pads, and offers education around the topic of their menstrual cycle. They are passionate about “giving women and girls access to affordable, hygienic sanitary products, as well as educating women and girls on menstrual health and hygiene. Because knowledge is empowering.” (http://www.onegirl.org.au/what-we-do/launchpad) Likewise, World Vision firmly believe that “Menstrual Hygiene Rights are Human Rights” and are committed to providing for these girls through their amazing sanitation programs http://blog.worldvision.com.au/menstrual-hygiene-rights-human-rights-period/. We have made contact with these inspiring organisations and are very pleased to know that they are very excited about TABOO too!

Eventually, we hope to create our own outreach programs. Before we can consider this step, we are growing our networks to conduct our own independent research and establish connections with areas in need of our support.

How long until you will have a product?

We want to assure you that we are working hard to find a local and affordable manufacturer that can package our products so that we can sell and distribute them to you ASAP! However, this is proving to be quite a lengthy and unpredictable process so it’s almost impossible to give you an expected date – sorry! We are very hopeful though and have a few possible connections right now. In the meantime, you can follow this journey (that you are now a part of ) through social media and on our website.

Are your products going to be eco friendly?

We are both passionate about the environment as well as humanity so we aim to have a product which satisfies both!

What is the significance of TABOO’s name and logo?

The word TABOO has become a word that means a lot to us. It represents the strength of humanity, the development and growth of culture, and the pursuit of justice for all people regardless of circumanstace, background and in our case, gender. The concept of a period is a taboo all over the world. This means people feel uncomfortable talking about it and ashamed of experiencing it. Here at TABOO, we are absolutely convinced that the menstrual cycle should not be a taboo. In Australia, the fact that periods are an uncomfortable topic is a nuisance, but not particularly life threatening. In some parts of the world however, the fact that a woman’s period is a taboo could even threaten her life. In some cultures, women and girls suffer because they are not told what a period is, and subsequently they are not taught how to deal with it when it comes along. Sometimes, they are even considered to be too unclean to interact with other members of the family and so are banished to a menstrual hut, kilometres away from their home and all alone. How belittling and unjust is that!

Our logo has been specifically designed to fit our story and vision. We believe that our bold spot is both striking and slightly in your face, which is exactly what TABOO’s is! We wanted to use colours that represent femininity and strength as well as being visually appealing. Because the red and pink are so similar, they slightly clash – almost like the way that the concept of a period clashes with all sorts of cultures around the world. But guess what?! Because of periods, we can populate this small spot that we call Earth! Go periods!

What is ‘Bleeding love’, and what is it’s significance?

Bleeding love is our slogan and we are super proud of it! Half of the world’s population bleeds every month and it is not something to be ashamed of. By using TABOO products, we can convert that pesky bleeding into love towards other women around the globe. Ultimately, TABOO is a movement designed to unite women and inspire love towards each other through their shared experiences of menstruation. Some people may find it confronting and that’s good, because they are the people we want to talk to! If you feel uncomfortable and disgusted thinking about something such as menstrual bleeding, we challenge you to consider the discomfort that millions of girls face around the world who use tree bark, cow dung and kitchen sponges to soak up the blood that will otherwise run down their legs and socially ostracise them for a week each month.

What would be the process of buying and receiving TABOO’s sanitary products?

Log onto our website using your account and either order a once off delivery of your choice of sanitary products or a subscription to a personalised package.

If you ordered a once of delivery, that package would be delivered to your door as soon as possible. If you chose the subscription option, your personalised package (with the number and type of products you want) would be delivered as frequently as you had chosen (either every month, every 3 months or every 6 months).

Do you currently have paid employees?

At this stage, we are all volunteers! Our team consists of the Co-Founders & Directors Eloise Hall and Isobel Marshall, and an amazing team of 3 other volunteers who each have specific roles within the group. We will not start offering wages until TABOO is successful enough to pay a small wage to volunteers who have demonstrated their commitment and practical work towards TABOO, without compromising the profit we can give away.